Flower Delivery for Mom Runs Into Bloomin’ Problems
ABC News Fixer helps Florida woman after flower services comes up short twice.
THE ABC NEWS FIXER— -- Keenya Coleman of Florida wanted to send her mother some birthday flowers. She tried twice, and both times had less-than-happy results.
Read Keenya’s original letter to the ABC News Fixer below, and see how The Fixer helped with this flower fiasco. Also, check out The Fixer’s tips for ordering flowers.
Do YOU have a consumer problem? Maybe The Fixer can help! Submit your problems at ABCNews.com/Fixer.
Dear ABC News Fixer: I purchased flowers online using FlowerDeliveryExpress.com on two separate occasions.
The first time, I tried to send my mom flowers on her birthday. The flowers were delivered a day late. I called customer service and was given a credit, which was essentially a refund for a future purchase.
With the credit, I felt a little better. So I placed another online order for my mom. Even with the credit, I still had to pay another $46 to order the flowers. And they were never delivered!
This has been a nightmare. No flowers, no money!
- Keenya Coleman, Lakeland, Fla.
Dear Keenya: Good grief. At some point, we’re thinking you just might want to stick with cards.
You paid $63 for the first arrangement, which did arrive – albeit a day late. But with the additional money you spent on the second order, you were in this for 109 bucks.
We got in touch with the people at Wesley Berry Florist, the Michigan company that operates FlowerDeliveryExpress.com.
The company claimed their records showed both orders were delivered with no issues, something you strongly dispute. But they still put through refunds for both of your orders.
In researching this, we discovered you’re not alone. Others have complained about poor service and other issues, including more than 5,500 complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau. The BBB recently revoked the company’s accreditation due to the complaints and downgraded them to an “F” rating.
We asked Jim Jordan, director of business processes for FlowerDeliveryExpress.com, about the complaints, and he emailed that they “successfully fulfill thousands of orders each day. As with any business, sometimes we are not able to satisfy our customers and we strive to make it right.”
He added, “For all of our customers, we take every step possible to keep them informed and deliver the very best sentiment expression experience. Since 1946, we have been committed to customer satisfaction and are constantly looking at best practices towards that end.”
So, we are glad you got your money back. As for other consumers, keep these tips in mind:
- Some online sellers are “order gatherers,” which means they put your order through to another florist network, which in turn sends your order to a local florist shop. Along the way, you might be paying fees for handling, service and shipping, and the result may be less bang for your bouquet. By the time the local shop gets the order, a substantial amount of money may have been depleted in middleman fees.
- Even with a coupon, it might be more expensive to use an order-gatherer than it would be to go to a local florist.
- The flower arrangement photos you see online might not be what your recipient gets. Check the website’s terms and conditions, because they often allow the local shops to make substitutes.
- Experts say that to get the best value, find an actual bricks-and-mortar local florist in the city where the flowers will be delivered. Give them your price point and ask what they can do for you.
- The ABC News Fixer
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